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Join us for our third Q&A with @MoNscience about the #coronavirus pandemic today at 2:30pm. Reply here with questions! Read our latest updates on #COVID19 here: https://on.natgeo.com/351K8UV
Great Q! Antibody tests are valuable for more than just assessing whether people have immunity, as @nadiamdrake explains for @NatGeo https://on.natgeo.com/2KvuGXD https://twitter.com/ureshitanoshiak/status/1253738663382528001?s=20
The starkest example is contact tracing. Because antibodies can be detected in asymptomatic cases or long after an infection clears, scientists can use these tests to track otherwise hidden chains of infection. Example: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30273-5/fulltext
It's also easier to collect blood for an antibody test (Hey may I prick your finger?) than swab for a genetic test (Hey may I stick this Q-tip up your nose?). This benefit comes in handy for population-scale surveys, which we'll need to effectively allocate resources for COVID
The question of the moment. Let's answer it this way.
If a temperature can harm the coronavirus, then it can also harm the human body.
If an amount of radiation exposure can harm the virus, then it can also harm the human body. https://twitter.com/JupiterWisdom/status/1253739283707502597?s=20
If a temperature can harm the coronavirus, then it can also harm the human body.
If an amount of radiation exposure can harm the virus, then it can also harm the human body. https://twitter.com/JupiterWisdom/status/1253739283707502597?s=20
Only extreme heat and the most damaging forms of solar radiation can slow the coronavirus.
Here's a list:
São Paulo, Brazil: 79°F
Miami: 88°F
Los Angeles: 90°F
Your body: 98°F
The virus can survive in all of these places.
Here's a list:
São Paulo, Brazil: 79°F
Miami: 88°F
Los Angeles: 90°F
Your body: 98°F
The virus can survive in all of these places.
One lab reported exposing SARS-CoV-2 to 158°F, and the virus survived for 5 minutes!
At 132°F, the virus survived for at least 10 minutes!!!! https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30003-3/fulltext
At 132°F, the virus survived for at least 10 minutes!!!! https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30003-3/fulltext
Based on available evidence, we cannot count on heat and humidity to beat the coronavirus.
Things we can count on: social distancing, testing, health-care workers, critical care therapies, and, hopefully one day, a vaccine
Things we can count on: social distancing, testing, health-care workers, critical care therapies, and, hopefully one day, a vaccine
Hard to say until we know more about how people develop immunity and how the virus changes. https://twitter.com/SFish256/status/1253762851719782401?s=20
We've never had a coronavirus vaccine, despite warning shots from SARS, MERS, and the disease burden caused by common colds. https://on.natgeo.com/3eNUqMP
Scientists are working essentially from scratch, which explains why delivering a vaccine will likely take more than a year.
Scientists are working essentially from scratch, which explains why delivering a vaccine will likely take more than a year.
In the past, human immunity against other coronaviruses has only lasted a 1-2 years, which would indicate the potential need for a regular vaccine.
The coronavirus also slowly mutates, which also may or may not influence the future durability of a vaccine response. https://on.natgeo.com/2Y47g3K
But yes, if a vaccine is made but immunity wanes, high-risk groups will likely need to seek regular doses of the vaccine to stay protected.
P.S. See my answer from last week on using the term "strain"... https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1251196180803002368
P.S. See my answer from last week on using the term "strain"... https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1251196180803002368
Thanks for your questions! Read our ongoing coverage at the link above, and to support more content like this, please consider subscribing to National Geographic. https://on.natgeo.com/3eNVKzh
